Friday, October 21, 2011

What’s The Beachbody Challenge™?

It’s a health and fitness transformation competition. Commit to get fit and share the results you achieve with any Beachbody®
program. You’ll automatically get a free wristband, a free T-shirt, or
BOTH! If your transformation is selected as the BEST in your age and
gender category (18 – 29, 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50+) you could win up to $100,000! Ready to win?
I will be personally coaching a Challenge Team made up of five individuals that are taking the Beachbody Challenge. Please CONTACT MEif you are interested in participating with my team. I will
send you all the details. If you already have a fitness program in
mind, let me know that as well. I’m going to try and pair people
together that are doing the same program. People in my Challenge Team
Groups will commit to:

Learning basic nutritional theory and eating to fuel your body for workouts and recovery - we will work off the nutrition guide with your program or preferable a tailored plan available to Club Members on the Beachbody site (also gives you 10% off products)

Posting daily accountability in a private Facebook group viewable only by members of the Challenge Team

FINISHING! This isn’t about starting, it is about finishing!

You do not need to be on a Challenge Team to participate in the
Beachbody Challenge. The Challenge is open to everyone. What we are
offering with the Challenge Teams is an added measure of accountability
and personal coaching. We have used the concept of Challenge Teams for
several years now and we’ve found that the people participating have
much better odds of success.

Here’s how to enter:

Tell us which fitness program you plan to follow, state your goals,
and start tracking your progress. You’ll want to take a “before” photo
to remember what you looked like and submit your results when you’re
finished. For making this simple commitment, we’ll send you a FREE WRISTBAND.
(It’s okay to skip step 1 if you’re already in shape and want to submit your fitness results.)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Shared from Carl Daikeler's blog www.carldaikeler.com

October 18th, 2011

How To Compare ShakeologyOr, “How Do I Really Know If This is Worth the Money When Everything Else Costs Less?”
There are many “protein shakes” and meal replacements that are less
expensive than Shakeology. But comparisons – based on the simple
“protein shake” or even “health shake” are usually off the mark because
of intangibles like quality of sourcing, efficacy, and the delicate
balance of incredible health benefits and delicious flavor that is
unique to Shakeology.
When we developed Shakeology, our goal was to fill a void in the
marketplace where the benefits of the shake would live up to the promise
of the line “The Healthiest Meal of the Day.” Shakeology was designed
for people who want more than protein, and for people who really expect
the health benefits being represented by the ingredients on the
label. With Shakeology not only do you get what you pay for, but
because it tastes so good and the attention to every detail is so
complete, you get more than you pay for.
To really know whether a product measures up to Shakeology, you need to keep some things in mind:

How Much is “Enough”?
We are proud of Shakeology’s 70+ ingredients. Other shakes will
trumpet the number of ingredients they have too. But are the ingredients
they are counting actually good for you?
Are they derived from whole food sources? They are in Shakeology! Too
often the “magic ingredient” has been isolated from the enzymes and
phytonutrients which actually are what is needed to make the “magic
ingredient” effective when consumed.
And does the competition formulate for the synergistic benefits
between the ingredients, or just slap together whatever is hot in the
media? Shakeology was specially formulated for the collection of
ingredients to work together like a symphony; this combination is so
effective some people report dramatic benefits within the first week.
We’re not just talking about weight loss here, we’re talking meaningful
health benefits; regularity, energy, vitality!
Other supplements point to one or two individual ingredients and
build a “story” around their super food attributes… that’s like saying
you can put Michael Jordan on a team of amateurs and still have a
championship caliber team. Shakeology’s specially selected ingredients
work like the dream team, all working together so YOU get the health
benefits from the healthiest meal of the day.

Vanilla?
If the shake you’re considering is vanilla, how do they achieve
vanilla flavoring? Our research indicates that it is impossible for the
superfoods, adaptogen herbs, anti-oxidants, phytonutrients and
digestive enzymes to co-exist and taste good in a vanilla flavor,
unless the vanilla flavor is achieved chemically and artificially.
(It’s the “dirty little secret” of the flavoring industry even though
labeling guidelines still allow this artificial flavoring to be called
“natural vanilla flavoring”) Other companies are willing to use that
labeling loophole for their benefit. But not Shakeology.
So here’s the question; are you drinking the shake so you can enjoy
vanilla, or so you can get the incredible health benefits from a shake
that doesn’t taste like a “health drink”? We call Shakeology “the
healthiest meal of the day” for a reason, and we plan on doing what it
takes to live up to that.

Protein:
When it comes to comparing protein quality, you need to look closely to see the truth:
“Say NO to soy”
Does the competition use ANY soy in their formulation? Soy protein
contains estrogen-mimicking compounds that can interfere with your
hormones, and on top of that most of the soy in the marketplace is GMO
(genetically modified), two important reasons why we don’t use soy in
Shakeology.
It is our general opinion that many people are consuming too much soy
in the pursuit of health – and thus perhaps producing too much
estrogen which can cause many adverse issues in the body. Do a little
research of your own on the topic, and you will be as shocked as we are
at what you will learn about soy.
Likewise, if a company is promoting that their protein is “more
absorbable”, be careful. Protein sources like Whey Protein Hydrolysate
have been shown to trigger a much higher insulin response in the body.
That’s not an outcome we would tolerate in any health shake, much less
Shakeology.
Our protein source is whey protein isolate, which is more
than 90 percent pure protein. Plus, Shakeology is loaded with digestive
enzymes-and lactase, that’s the enzyme that breaks down lactose and is
found in over-the-counter products like Lactaid®. Don’t
confuse whey protein concentrate with “isolate”. Whey protein
concentrate is the least pure form of whey protein made. The benefits of
“isolate” vs. “concentrate” is that the fat has been removed to
achieve “isolate”. The fat in whey protein is what carries toxins
consumed by the animal. That’s the reason Shakeology can be used by so
many people who are lactose-intolerant – because those toxins have been
removed through the isolate process.
We also look at the source of every single protein batch that shows
up at the manufacturer. If we find the manufacturer is cutting a corner
by bringing in protein from farms that use hormones or are ok feeding
inorganic materials to their cattle, we tell them to find another
source. This is the kind of scrutiny that other companies just don’t
give their product, and it’s the kind of attention to detail which
doesn’t show on the label. (But it does show in how you feel when you
consume the product over the long term!)

Glycemic index tested…In terms of sugar, many protein shakes have 1g of sugar or
less. This is because they are using artificial chemical sweeteners
(check the label for sucralose, aspartame, or sugar alcohols).
Shakeology’s small amounts of sugar comes from natural sources which are
easily processed by the body and in fact has been tested and certified
by an independent lab to have a Low Glycemic Index of 24 – that’s
lower than most fruits (an apple is 36 and an orange is 43)!What is not in the base, they may suggest you add later:
Other shakes don’t cost as much as Shakeology at first glance, but
they also don’t contain the full profile of vitamins and minerals or
whole-food sources of anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogen herbs,
prebiotics, probiotics or digestive enzymes. We’ve seen competitors make
you buy a separate vitamin pack for $150 per month! And if you want
chocolate flavoring you have to buy a separate flavor packet for an
extra $25 a month. If you want metabolism boosting effects and appetite
control, you have to buy 2 additional products at $50 each. Once you
add it up, this is hardly a “good deal” and it is usually questionably
healthy..
To achieve the benefits of Shakeology we’ve seen competitors charge
between $250 and $335 per month! $120 doesn’t seem expensive when you
realize all of the benefits Shakeology delivers.

Price:
$120 for Shakeology VS. Oops! It’s impossible to compare lesser
formulations on price. But if you add in all the separate vitamins and
flavoring agents the other companies ask you to buy to (try and) match
the benefits and nutritional content of Shakeology, you would easily
spend over $300 every month – that’s 2 ½ times the cost of Shakeology!
Sure, chocolate milk is cheaper than Shakeology. A vanilla soy shake
can be cheaper than Shakeology – until you try to add what Shakeology’s got, and match what Shakeology can do for you, and then it’s no contest.Winner:Shakeology

The best comparison is results. From weight loss and
reduction in cravings, to regularity, to healthier cholesterol levels,
to energy, to an overall sense of well being… We give a
bottom-of-the-bag money-back guarantee on Shakeology because we KNOW
people will be amazed at how they feel. Shakeology is the winner by a
total knock out!
Speaking of knock outs, check out Katie F.’s full Shakeology success story here on Thursday!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Just over a week ago I ran in and placed second in my age group in a local mud run called the Volkslauf. It is termed "the Ultimate Challenge", designed as a Marine course, put on by volunteers with proceeds going to local charities. You can select a 5K or a 10K race when you sign up! I have run the 10K 3 times but this year decided to opt for the 5K for two reasons. One, my daughter's soccer team had a 10:45 game and I am the coach :); Two, I didn't do much training for this event!

What... no training? Well, this isn't entirely true as I did throw in a few runs with my dog over the last month and a half. How then did I do so well? I do exercise 5-6 days a week. I am currently following the program ChaLEAN Extreme which involves a lot of strength training, plus I get a big dose of cardio in my weekly Turbo Kick class! Apparently my regular workouts count as some pretty serious training!

I really pushed myself on my run. After I waited in line to get over the first obstacle I realized that I would get to rest before every obstacle due to the crowds! So I ran a great run! I launched into the mud pits and offered help/ accepted help getting over all of the bigger obstacles... plus I managed a few on my own!

A key thing I learned in past years is that you are not finished until you cross the finish line!!! There were 3 others within one minute of my time and I bet we were all getting out of the mud pit at the same time and they stopped for a photo op ;) Don't get me wrong, the completing the Volkslauf is accomplishment enough and shows you have achieved a good level of fitness, but after running it a few times you set your goals a little higher!

On that note I think I will train next year!!! Getting to the front of the pack from the run would clear congestion for the obstacles... a partner in crime would be handy to help get over the obstacles... who is in? Next October I am going to crack that 48 minute time down to hmmmmm, how about 40?!?!??!

Even if you are not gunning for a top scoring time I have some great tools to help you get ready for an event like this, just give me a shout!

These pics are from last year's race as my photographers did not make it in time ;)

Photo 1 is the 1/2 mile slog through Dog Ditch, second is my favorite obstacle that I can get over without help, and the last photo is the pose before the finish line that I did not pause for this year!!!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Sometimes we all need a kick in the butt! I am a healthy eater. I usually choose a salad when I go out for
dinner. I rarely bake as I know I will
eat half of whatever I make. I buy lots
of fruit and vegetables and choose whole grain over white anything! My problem?
I eat too often and too much! I
took the rule of "eat every 2-3 hours" a bit too far! Sometimes I would have a little handful of
almonds as my snack... then I was hungry and realized I could add a few more
calories so I grabbed some dried apples... it might sound silly and
insignificant but it got out of hand and then I was eating regular meals and
reaching into the cracker box along with my kids as well... all of a sudden my
clothes were getting snug and I was even exercising 5+ days a week!

It is all about choices and self control!

I drink Shakeology every day too which I love. I realized though that I had started drinking
Shakeology more as a quick snack, so when I drank it quickly I looked for
another snack before it had a chance to fill me up! Just like a meal... if you eat leisurely and
wait a few minutes you will often find that you are in fact satiated, vs when
you wolf it down and go for seconds then feel absolutely stuffed! We need to be sensible.

I decided it was time to hit the Shakeology cleanse
again. 3 Shakes a day for 3 days plus a
few pieces of fruit, a salad with lean protein, green tea and lots of
water. So on Sunday I got down to
business. I avoided Sunday morning
pancakes with the kids, I only had a piece of fruit between meals instead of my
regular 4 snacks, I steamed a 4 oz piece of tilapia in some leftover soup and
put it on my salad with the veggies that were in my soup, plus my 3 shakes
during the day. Monday went well
too. I watched my friends enjoy a glass
of wine while our kids were at Catillion... I will have one next time! On the way home we drove by El Pollo Loco for
dinner to go. I had a chicken leg (not
super lean but that is the best I could do) to go with my salad I made at
home. Tuesday I had a meeting- had a few
pieces of fruit at the meeting plus creamer in my coffee! Through the three days I was never ravenous. I did get hungry, I did look longingly at
some carbs but hey, it was only 3 days!

This morning, Wednesday, I am down 4 1/2 pounds, I feel great, my belly
is flatter and I have not even been tempted to indulge in snacks all
morning! The ultimate goal in 3 days
isn't really massive weight loss, it is only 3 days after all, but retraining
my cravings and appetite!

Refocusing on what I NEED vs what I WANT!

I am healthy already, I don't want to starve
myself, but I do feel better when I am comfortable in my clothes and in my
appearance! It sure feels great to be
back on track!

There are many "health drinks" or "shakes" out there to choose from. I like Shakeology because it is made from 70 whole foods including many Superfoods (watch where the ingredients come from here). There are no secrets about the ingredients, they are all listed on the bag. The product is included in Foodfacts.com with a super high rating. Here is a chart comparing Shakeology to some other leading health shakes. See for yourself where things fall! Head to my website for FREE coaching and contact me with any questions. www.GetFitWithNicola.com